Dreamland BBQ Fire Accidental Says Investigator

The fire that heavily damaged Dreamland BBQ in Peachtree Corners on Wednesday, Jan. 16, was accidental according to Gwinnett County fire investigators.

"The fire was determined to be caused by a neon sign transformer located in the attic space," said Lt. Colin Rhoden, spokesman for the Gwinnett County Fire Department.

Rhoden said the sign was not being used by Dreamland but had been left there by the previous tenants.

"It caused an electrical arcing condition in the attic which resulted in the ignition," explained Rhoden. Because the cause of the fire was deemed accidental, there will be no further investigation he said.

"The building is a total loss," said Rhoden. The burning roof collapsed into the restaurant "causing substantial damage to the interior with very little being salvageable," he said.

But there is good news to report - the restaurant's owner plans to rebuild and hopes to have it open within a few months.

"The plan is to most definitely to reopen Dreamland," said Ashley Davis, spokesperson for the Birmingham, Alabama-based company. The Peachtree Corners location is one seven corporate-owned stores.

"We foresee several months before we reopen," said Davis. Because Dreamland leases the space, Davis said it will take time to coordinate with the owner and the insurance company before rebuilding could begin.

"We received a huge outpouring of sympathy from our customers via Twitter, Facebook and email," said Davis.

While Peachtree Corners customers wait for the restaurant to reopen, Davis said the Dreamland in Roswell would be an alternative.

Read also:

Fire Breaks Out at Dreamland BBQ Wednesday Evening

Resident Captures Dreamland Burning on Video

Keep up with Peachtree Corners news. Subscribe to the Peachtree Corners Patch’s free newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter